Harry Potter and the Peridot Pendant
by Linalin
Summary: Harry receives a pendant from Snape, a key to the past.  What mysteries can the past hold?
1. Chapter 1 The Peridot Pendant

Harry, after just triumphing over the forces of evil for the last time was waving his recently repaired holly and phoenix wand around as if he were 11 years old again, receiving it for the first time. It felt so good to be back in his hands; the warmth extending to every limb. Ron and Hermione just stood there watching him with content smiles on their faces, not wanting to end this brief happiness after so much despair. He was growing tired however, as is to be expected after the ordeal of a lifetime he was just put through. As the wizard was about to turn and leave, he heard a gentle cough and turned to look at the portrait of the late Albus Dumbledore removing his hand from his mouth.

"Harry," said the portrait, "There's something else Headmaster Snape wanted to give you besides his memories if anything ever happened to him."

"But, why," asked Harry although he knew the answer all too well. A certain look of disappointment and sadness drew itself on his weary face.

"That is not a question I can answer, replied Dumbledore as he motioned to the Headmaster's desk. "It's in the top left-hand drawer. You'd better take it now before the Ministry finds out because I'm sure there's a chance you might not see it again, after all."

The young wizard went over to the desk and opened the drawer to reveal nothing , but a piece of velvety emerald cloth. He lifted it and out feel a gold chain with a heart-shaped peridot locket. As soon as he picked it up he began to feel dizzy. As he gazed into the jewels, which he soon realized had to be enchanted, he felt light-headed. Harry couldn't look away though, nor even drop the charming pendant. For an instant he thought he saw something white and wispy move across the jewels, but he could not keep his eyes open any longer. As he plunged into a cool darkness, the last thing he heard was Hermione calling his name.

"James...James...," came a voice.

That voice was not Hermione's.

"James, please wake up."

That wasn't even his name.

He felt something light and soft, like a breeze, lift his hand and brush through his hair, but still he could not recognize the voice thought it continued to call out to him. Harry decided to try to open his eyes, but he didn't want the dream to end. He felt so relaxed and at peace, despite everything he'd just been through. His left eye opened slightly and the right followed suit. Despite having his glasses on, he could just barely make out a silhouette shrouded in light. It was as if looking into the sun during an eclipse; his eyes hurt. He covered them with his free hand for a moment then the young wizard opened his eyes fully to get a better look to find instead of a sun, something more magnificent, a face that held the beauty of 10 Fleur Delacour's. Although he could hardly even imagine someone as beautiful as that, this face was there, right in front of his own, somehow, someway, familiar. A woman who appeared to be very young, perhaps in her early twenties, he thought, was staring at him with watery amethyst eyes. The light he thought she was shrouded in was just her hair, which was somehow by far paler than any of the Malfoy's, but her entire figure seemed to light up the pitch-black darkness that surrounded them. Somehow, this woman seemed so familiar to him, yet, unfamiliar, as if he had recently passed her on the street. She gasped when Harry finally managed to return her gaze.

"You're not James."

"No-no, I'm not." Harry tried to move his body, but felt as if it were in that state of tired tingly numbness, especially where the woman's cool hand rested on him. Finally, on his third attempt, he managed to lift himself upright, to sit across from the kneeling woman, who was believe it or not, still taller than him. "I'm Harry."

"Harry, you mean, Potter, Harry Potter, but how? I haven't seen you since you were born...just a few months ago. Babies even in the magical world can not grow over night. Or are you a phantom?"

"That's not right. For instance, I'm 17 years old now and living! Wait just a minute, how do I know you or rather, how do you know me?"

"No, no, it can't possibly be right," she muttered partially to herself. "Where's Sevy or Alby? They'll tell me who you are exactly."

"Are you mad, lady? I'm Harry Potter, you know the boy that lived?"

"Lived, so what? People live all the time."

"What do you mean 'so what'? It's not everyday someone lives past the Killing Curse from the hands of Lord Voldemort himself."

"I did."

"What? You can't have."

"What do you mean I can't have, I just did. Why can't I have, yet you're telling me that you did.? That is completely illogical, young man."

"What?" Harry thought for a second that this ludicrous woman just might have a sharper wit than Hermione herself, if only for an instant.

"If you're really Harry Potter, where's your father and mother then? The last I knew you were living near my family's house in Godric's Hollow under enchantment so Voldemort wouldn't find the Potter family. You can't break a spell like that."

"He was. I'm trying to tell you that happened 16 years ago. My father is...my father and my mother died."

"How dare you say such things! If anyone would persevere the war it would be Lily Potter and in a million years Sirius would die before disowning a vow of Secret-Keeping for those two!" She wasn't shouting, but the anger was definite in her voice.

"That's just it. Sirius wasn't my dad's Secret Keeper. Petter Pettigrew was and he sold out my family to the Death Eaters."

The woman now stood and stomped her foot. "Where's Sevy? He'll clear this all up."

"Who in the hell is this Sevy you keep going on about?" Harry was easily becoming frustrated with the conversation.

"You must know him, young man, Severus Snape, he just started teaching at Hogwarts."

"Snape...he died as well," reluctantly Harry informed her, feeling guilt for not being able to do anything to help the man.

"Despite the deep natural tan her skin held, you could easily see she was now flustered, as her face grew contorted with some deep emotion. Was it sadness? "I don't believe you."

"Well, you don't have to, but why not?"

"It's all completely illogical."

"What? I'm telling the truth here."

"Then you wouldn't mind showing me, would you?" Before Harry had a chance to respond, the seemingly deranged woman swooped down upon him and pressed her forehead lightly against Harry's. Her majestic eyes looked directly through his green ones, literally, through, straight into his mind. If Harry had control over any of his senses he'd notice that he was blushing thoroughly, but he'd lost all those as she cast the most powerful legilimancy spell the fairly experienced wizard had ever endured.

All the memories came flooding back to him in fast motion, the fall of Voldemort, King's Cross, Snape, as he lay on the floor, blood gushing out of the puncture wounds, the hunt for the Hocruxes, and that fated night in which Snape was forced to kill Dumbledore. The memories moved faster now, the night in the graveyard where Cedric Diggory was murdered, the first meeting with Sirius. She was going deeper and faster, without caring how much it hurt him emotionally, although not physically as it did with those late-night lessons with Snape. He tried to block her out, screaming inside himself, pleading in though, but she was such a force he could not match, somehow stronger than Lord Voldemort. His head was pounding as the memories overflowed. It finally came to an end, as most of his nightmares did, with his mother's voice pleading, "No, not Harry" and a flash of green light.

Harry's scar didn't burn as normally it would, but instead it felt as if some great weight had just been lifted from his head. As soon as he regained his senses, which took a moment or two, considering, he barked, "You had no right whatsoever to do that."

The woman was now standing with her back towards him.

"Did you hear me," the wizard asked, feeling refreshed from the adrenaline and leaping to his feet out of anger.

"Yes, I know that now. I'm so sorry, Harry. I just had to know the truth."

Harry softened his tone a little after hearing the pain in her voice. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to..., but I wasn't lying now was I? By the way, who are you?"

"Oh, Harry, I'm so sorry," said the witch with such compassion. She turned around and appeared to have been crying. Harry felt his heart slip an inch, but despite the look on his face, she softly gave smile. "I'm your fairy godmother."

"Like from the stories?"

"Not quite. I can't grant wishes and my magic is long gone," replied the woman as she tugged on her pale yellow cloak which covered a beautiful white lace dress beneath.

"You're a Squib, but how just now...what was that?"

"What? Of course not, I'm a memory of someone who died in your time a long time ago, I'm afraid. It wasn't magic I used to retrieve those memories. It was your own heart calling out to me. Please don't be angry with me."

"But, my godmother? Sirius never mentioned you before."

"I suppose he wouldn't want to."

"Why?"

"Why do such simple questions have such complicated answers? Alright, Harry Potter, I will tell you my story as long as you make me a promise when it's over.

"Harry didn't even get a chance to inquire about the promise when the scenery around them changed from endless darkness to a Great Hall filled with students of all ages as if right out of Harry's memory, but it was from this strange woman's.

"It seems like every young witch or wizard in Britain, begins their magical adventures at Hogwarts. I was one of those rare cases that didn't, not until my third year at least. That's where my story begins..."

If the girl with the long light blonde hair and deep tan skin had been anymore pale, they'd have seen her blush to a degree only a Weasely could manage,. This tall and incredibly thing girl was nearly shaking from all the glances she was receiving not only for the giant hat that sat atop her head, but also because it seemed like everyone in the room was mesmerized with her beauty, staring at her in awe. Before she could sink further into the stool, as she wished, the great Sorting Hat shouted so everyone could hear, "GRYFFINDOR!"

As if an alarm sounded, a great roar of applause erupted from the crimson and gold table to which she hastily made her way, not looking around at the people who were staring at her. "Could they have figured it out already", she thought.

"We can hear your thoughts," Harry asked.

"Mine and Sevy's because I liked to listen to him the most."

"Why is that?"

"To put it simply, he is a very difficult person."

"You aren't kidding."

"I enjoyed every minute of that."

Before the girl sat down however, she quickly bowed to the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, who in return, nodded back and smiled with a wink. As hastily as she sat down, was as quick as two black-haired boys came over to her. "The name's Sirius, Sirius Black," the taller, more handsome one said as he grabbed the idle hand which had been laying at her side and kissed it tenderly. "And this is my best mate-"

"James Potter," said the other, nudging his counterpart in the ribs.

"James leave the poor girl alone," said a red curly-haired girl with beautiful green eyes. "She just sat down. Give her some time to breathe, why don't you? You two don't have to run around every single time you see a pretty face."

"You're just jealous, Lily,: James, the one with the very untidy-looking hair and glasses remarked. He nodded curtly to the girl whom he'd just met, excused himself, and went to sit next to the girl whom had spoken.

"So I didn't catch your name." Sirius would have, had he been paying attention at all to the Sorting Hat ritual.

"Olivia Soleil," cited the girl almost nervously.

"You're French, pardonez-moi," Black excused himself for sitting down next to her."

"Not really, my mother just thought it was a fitting name."

"Indeed it is, very beautiful," complimented her new companion.

"I hate it."

"Yeah, so do I."

Olivia laughed at his feeble attempt to apply as much charm as possible.

"So, where are you from?"

"Well, my father now lives in Hogsmeade, but we're originally from Godric's Hollow,"

"So you're a 3rd year, but I'd swear I've never seen you before. It's not normal to see a 3rd year being sorted."

"How did you know what year I was," she wondered aloud in complete shock, as if her towering height over the 1st years had nothing to do with it.

James Potter, who'd been overhearing...or rather listening in on the entire conversation caught the attention of those purple eyes by lifting his head and cracking a grin.

"Ah, I see. Well, I was sick during the first year, but the Headmaster allowed me to take a W.A.T."

"A W.A.T., what," questioned the completed dumbfounded boy, who'd obviously never heard of the term.

Lily interrupted and explained, "A Wizard's Aptitude Test. It's given to those home-schooled students who want to transfer into wizarding schools to see how they rank. With special conditions, you can even move up a few years, however so they experience the most the schools have to offer, you can only do this once per year then retest as long as you are strictly being instructed at home during vacations. It's like a Muggle placement test."

"Yes, so technically, I'm a year younger than you. I'm just 12, but don't worry, I don't plan on retesting. To be honest, I want to stay at Hogwarts as long as possible."

"Why's that," James brushed his nose and Olivia just shook her head, not providing any further details.

"Hey, how'd you know how old I was," Sirius asked, still slightly confused as to why he'd never heard of this before.

"Lucky guess," replied the witch, not revealing any of her secrets.

"Blimey," remarked James sarcastically. "You must be a bookcase like our dear Lily here, if you managed to score that high on your W.A.T." At this, Lily pushed James to the point that he almost fell from his seat.

Harry watched as the four talked as if watching a movie in fast-forward, noticing a younger, less tired and stressed-looking Remus Lupin joining in. Time returned to normal only when the 3rd year Gryffindor class began to make their way down the familiar cold stone dungeon path to the Potions classroom. The dungeon was a more relaxed and open atmosphere than what Harry was accustomed to. Professor Slughorn plastered the walls with moving posters of his famous acquaintances. Olivia, almost shyly and without a word, made her way to the front of the classroom as the other students, clad in their gold and crimson and green and silver adorned uniforms filed into their seats. Politely, she cleared her throat as to catch the professor's attention. Once could say that his entire face lit up with either complete bliss or utter greed, when he caught sight of her, depending on whether how well you knew the man. Quickly, he pulled her towards his office door by the arm, nearly out of the socket and out of earshot of the entire class.

"Hoo, Dumbledore has told me about your ancestry. Don't be surprised. He couldn't keep a secret about someone of your standing from me for a very long time. It is by far my pleasure to make your acquaintance, young lady."

"Thank you, but would you mind keeping this our little secret," Olivia replied staring at her foot, ever so modestly. "I'm not here to claim a throne or anything."

"I understand. Still, it's mandatory for you to attend any and every social gathering if you want to pass my class because undoubtedly it will be far to easy for a person such as yourself," Slughorn said in a dreadfully pushing manner.

"What, you don't have a drop of famous blood in you by any chances, do you?"

"Oooooooooh, you could say that," the adult Olivia replied to Harry. Obviously, they could not be heard by these memories, but once or twice Harry watched as the teenage girl glanced directly where they were standing, as if she sensed their being.

She nodded, expressing her understanding as the chubby man with the starting bald spot gestured her to the front of the class. As they made their way to the front of his desk, Professor Slughorn said loud enough so everyone in the classroom could hear. "Attention, class. I'd like you to meet our new student, Miss Soleil."

As he said this there were whistles of approval from boys of both Houses and disgusted looks from the girls. Olivia tried to conceal her face in her long mane of fair hair by turning her head, but failed to keep their attention away from her.

"Now, who would like to be her partner," questioned the professor as he patted the poor embarrassed girl on the shoulder.

"Was this just a game to be played by him," the blonde-haired girl wondered.

To her horror, the hands of what appeared to be every male, even those already partnered up, in the room raised to the ceiling. Harry noticed, with his embarrassment, his godfather's seemed to be reaching and reaching to the sky with all its might. James nudged him in the ribs as if to say "cool it", but he as it turned out, was just a hypocrite, for when Sirius put less effort into stretching, James lifted his hand even higher than what it was. The teenage Olivia smiled when she saw that the only girl in the entire class to raise her hand was the only one to speak to her on the first day of school at all, Lily Evans, despite having a dreadfully shaking partner sitting next to her, whom Harry realized appeared to be Neville Longbottom's father, as their round faces resembled one another.

"Alright then," Slughorn announced so the class would lower their hands. Of course, the eldest son of the Black's was still wavering in the air. "Let's see, I'm sorry you can't sit within your House, but Severus Snape will be your partner."

A lone sallow-faced boy who did not raise his hand nor seem to be paying any attention at all, lifted his head up only when his name was called with a look of utter disinterest on his face.

"I really thought that he and I could be friends you know, because he didn't seem to swoon over me like the rest of the boys did."

Harry looked directly at his father and godfather when he said, "Swoon isn't the word for it and besides, you could have a better friend out of Snape if he were a goldfish.

At this, the semi-solid form of Olivia laughed.

Her younger version made it's way to Severus's table where he sat alone in the back. He merely greeted her with an unreadable expression, but not before she glanced at the two completely disappointed faces of James and Sirius who looked up at her immediately. James said as his friend groaned, "Beware of Snivellus, just being near him casts hexes on pretty girls like yourself", but Olivia ignored it for she thought that it wasn't worth being worried over, in fact if anyone should worry, it should be this Severus Snape.

Once there, she flashed him what Harry thought must have been the warmest smile anyone had ever given him besides Lily. Coldly, Severus turned his attention back to the ratty-looking Potions book of his. "Hmph," she sounded as she quickly turned her head away and towards the front of the class, not paying his rudeness any mind, though she was curious as to what his problem was.

"Great, what a partner," Severus's thoughts echoed throughout Harry's head as if they were being spoken. "Probably all looks and most likely not even the brain of a Hungarian newt. She's nothing like Lily would be, but of course all the Gryffindors were already crowded with other members of their House, so here I am stuck with the stray dog of the pack."

"I think I prefer cats over dogs."

"How could she have," Severus thought, turning and looking at her. It was as if she hadn't even been the one to speak, as she was pulling materials from her cauldron. "Perhaps, I was just overhearing someone else, there's no way it could have been her."

Harry saw the younger Soleil smile to herself, hidden from Snape's view. He had watched her utter those words, but couldn't believe that she had picked up his thoughts so naturally. "How'd you do that without casting a spell?"

Olivia stated in a matter-of-fact tone that it was nothing. She'd just been able to hear people think what they couldn't bring themselves to say for a long time as if their hearts were calling to her. Harry just looked at her in astonishment, then back at the scene where Slughorn was now using his wand to draw out instructions in midair so the whole class could see. Their project was to get rid of gnomes, which had just happened to have had taken over the Herbology gardens.

"What rubbish. We should be learning more advanced potions like the Polyjuice," Severus muttered.

"I agree."

"I wasn't talking to you," he hissed.

"Do you always talk to yourself then?"

Without being kind enough to give a response, Severus wrinkled his crooked nose grabbed his quill, and angrily began writing on a piece of parchment their instructions, as if the paper itself had been the one to press his buttons.

"Whichever teams can produce the most efficient Ulagnomus Potion will win a very special reward from me."

Harry who was standing near the ghostly image of his father overheard him say, "10 galleons Lily and I'll get it."

"Sure, forget about me, your partner, James. You know I can't brew a potion, let alone a butterbeer."

"Oh, we'll get it. Rest assured," the mischievous Potter was up to something Harry thought and sure enough he went over to charm the professor. "Oh, Professor Slughorn, how about that Quidditch game coming up? Thinking about betting against your own House again," he whispered the last part so as no Slytherins with their sly ears could hear.

Harry turned his attention away when Severus yelled, "Are you barking mad?"

"Oh, whatever do you mean," replied Olivia nonchalantly, pretending to be completely ignorant of the fact he was making a spectacle of himself, as she continued pulling ingredients from the students' supply cupboard.

"Honey, hops, vanilla extract! This is a potion not a damned recipe."

"There is no difference between a recipe and directions for a potion, I'm afraid to inform you."

"The point is," Severus's skin, usually very pale, was now flushed. "You're not following directions."

"No, I'm not. One must come up with their own directions as you so put it, when reaching an objective. Our objective is to get rid of gnomes and that is all I intend to do."

"I knew I shouldn't have been mixed up with the likes of you."

Olivia smiled, deflecting those cold words with a radiance of warmth she emitted every time her mouth moved. Snape retrieved his ingredients, powdered cockatrice talon, a breed of spider's venom, among other things, then returned to their table, doing everything in his power to avoid the path Olivia had taken, leaving behind gawking faces. "Utterly disgusting," thought Snape.

As they set about to work Harry watched as Olivia caught sight of his godfather's former self mouthing the words,"Beware of Snivellus." The young witch paid him no heed though, nor to her partner until they had set the bottom of their cauldrons aflame. "No, no, you should stir counter-clockwise until it becomes foamy, then mix at an angle."

"Bugger off."

"Fine, it's not my fault you're doing it wrong."

"I'm doing it exactly as the books says."

"Magic is an art-form and you, sir, have no creativity,"

"What's that supposed to mean?" The more Severus talked to this girl he thought to be outrageous the more relaxed he seemed to become.

"Can't figure it out for yourself?"

"Tsk," Of course though, he went back to ignoring her.

"All right class, time is up."

Harry watched as the class bottled up their potions in flasks and made their way to the back of the room. The class's results were quite obviously different. Olivia's was a thin amber-colored solution, Snape's was a thick purple solution that reminded the boy from the present of cough syrup, his mother's was a thing purple solution which still reminded Harry of cough medicine, Sirius's was thick, black, and bubbling like tar, while James made no potion at all. Everyone else's seemed to be either a dark brown color or black like Sirius's.

The scene changed again, this time to the familiar gardens Hagrid was known to take care of. Each student was to be given a gnome and their task was simply to get the gnome to drink the potion and observe the effects. Well, at least it sounded easy.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Sirius, you're up first."

"Well, Professor," James started. "We all know the best way to de-gnome a garden is like this."

The elder Potter grabbed his wand and tapped it on the gnome's head. Nothing happened and the rough, chubby, potato-looking thing just stared up at James blankly, to the amusement of the entire class. Getting frustrated, he began to whack "the little vermin" as he called it, over it's head. When that didn't work, he put away his wand in his cloak and began punching the thing.

"Stop it James, that's cruel," Lily shouted. "Gnomes have feelings too. Professor, stop him!"

"James, James Potter, that's not the way you---you're going to get,"

"Bloody hell, the sucker bit me," he exclaimed.

For such a small mouth, the gnome certainly took out a nice portion of James's index finger. Blood was dripping heavily from the wound and Severus couldn't help, but find it amusing, in fact he was almost smiling. "Think that's funny, Snivellus?"

James threw the gnome at Severus which wailed as it sailed through the air and hit Snape directly in the face, leaving behind tiny scratch marks. The Gryffindors laughed, especially James and Sirius. Severus immediately snapped out his wand and pointed it directly at James's chest.

"Now, boys, there's a time and place for everything and this is not it," sternly Slughorn broke up the two and Severus returned his wand.

"Aw, what's a matter with you, little fellow," Olivia asked the gnome as she picked it from the ground. If it weren't such a hideous creature, the way she was cuddling it one might have found adorable,

"Stop babying the damned thing," Severus ordered, bitter at the disgusting creature, but Olivia ignored him.

Next was Sirius. Surely he was a great act for all the charisma that shined from his face certainly hid the fact that as he said, he couldn't brew a butterbeer. He grabbed the next gnome and held it to the gnome's mouth. The little thing looked like it was going to pass out from the smell alone, it's eyes rolling back into it's head a few times. No matter how Sirius seemed to hold it and position the flask, the little garden gnome refused to drink. It shut it's mouth, shook it's head, and scrambled to get out of Black's clenched fist. Finally, Sirius managed to push the flask inside the little guy's mouth when it went to breathe and turned the bottle upside down so the thing was forced to chug the disgusting concoction. When the flask was empty and the gnome's belly was swollen, the student made the mistake of removing the flask from the monster's mouth. What happened next immediately reminded Harry of the Weasely's Puking Pastilles, as the gnome ferociously began to vomit up the black solution...all over Sirius. This was vengeance for Snape the Slytherins surely thought as they howled with laughter.

"Well boys, you both failed and lost 20 points for Gryffindor. You'd both better go see Madam Pomfrey and get cleaned up in the Hospital Wing," advised Slughorn as he cautiously took the gnome from Sirius and placed it back in the box it had come from. The two sulked off back towards the castle.

Lily, who was next in turn, was extraordinary and earned back the points James and Sirius had lost. Although her gnome also hadn't cared to take a swig of the potion it reluctantly gave in as she kept pressing it to it's mouth like a baby with a bottle. Before the potion was finished, the creature turned to stone right in her hands. "Extraordinary," compliment the teacher. "I'd never have thought a Muggle-born could be as talented as you, Lily Evans."

Her partner, however faired pretty much worse than Potter and Black had. He tried to get his magical creature to take the potion, but wound up losing a tip of his finger. The trauma of the incident caused him to faint and he was rushed to the Hospital Wing. The rest of the class was having the same luck, either winding up being bitten or the potion having no affect at all. Finally it was Snape's turn. The future potion's teacher had the same effects as Lily and smugly rubbed it in his partner's face. He whispered to Olivia, "See what a real potion's master can do."

Olivia just smiled at him as she stepped up to the plate, so to say, with the original experimental gnome. "Now drink up, little guy," she cooed like a mother and handed the flask to its chubby little arms. Immediately the gnome drank and drank until it was finished. Satisfied it dropped the flask and Olivia set it on the ground. The thing immediately began to walk around in circles.

"W-what the hell," stammered Severus. "That isn't a potion. You intoxicated the damn thing."

"It's better than nothing," Lily stated, standing up for the new girl.

"It's just a sleeping potion I modified to the gnome's tastes of natural oats and other flavors. Watch." Sure enough the gnome found its spot, curled up in a ball...as best it could for being so fat, and fell asleep."

"I thought petrifying the thing was cruel. It should sleep for a few hours and be disoriented when it wakes up, leaving its group."

"Why I never imagined," Slughorn said completely amazed. "I knew it was good to have high hopes for you. Well, congratulations, Lily, Olivia, and Severus, you three get a get-out-of-class free pass next period, my treat."

Sirius who had returned in time to watch the last experiments shouted, "What, with him!?"

The whole class turned to look at him. "Have a problem with that Black," forcefully questioned the professor.

"No sir," he replied, not wanting to lose anymore points.

Severus smirked. He would enjoy this even with that unorthodox stray dog of a witch, he thought.

"I always told him I prefered cats."

"What happened next," Harry asked as the scene faded.

"Well, you don't think your father and godfather would allow Severus to have a date with two pretty young girls do you?"


	2. Chapter 2  Tea for Three

Harry watched as the memories returned. In this scene Lily, Severus, and Olivia, in that order, stood in front of Professor Slughorn's wide black desk. There, he was writing their names in an emerald-green ink on shiny-gold parchment paper.

"Professor I appreciate this," started Lily, "But,..."

"No, 'but's my dear, I must insist you three take a break from your studies after your marvelous performances this morning. Besides who would want to go to a History class taught by a ghost anyway?"

"Actually, Professor, I find History of Magic quite enthralling."

"Of course, you would, Miss Evans. Why don't you ladies and gentleman stick around and I'll show you how to brew a Draught of Peace."

At this, three pairs of eyes magically lit up.

"Ah-ha," chuckled the professor. "I thought that would catch your attention. If you will follow me."

Harry and the adult Olivia followed the four into a room Harry knew well from his Occulumency lessons with Snape in his 5th year, however he could not recognize it at all. On the walls, where there would be bottles and bottles of potions and ingredients were more trinkets from Slughorn's famous friends and photographs upon photographs of these wizard-celebrities looking down and waving at the crew.

"How are you today, Professor," asked a woman with a honey-like voice. The portrait, Harry noticed, was autographed in gold ink with the name Linda Loverly.

"Oh, just wonderful, thank you, Miss Loverly." Slughorn motioned for the children to sit down on a long black leather couch, then informed them that the portrait which had spoken to him, was a singer and one of his very first students.

He was about to go on about the rest of his acquaintances when Lily sharply interrupted, "I can barely contain my excitement to learn such an advanced potion, Professor."

"Yes, yes, well you three are capable of making one I'm sure," he replied, even with a completely disappointed look on his face. With a flick of his wand, flames erupted beneath the cauldron that lay atop his black desk. "Let's begin, shall we".

The three eager students inched ever so closer to the edge of their seats as Professor Slughorn began to prepare the ingredients. He said their names aloud as he pulled them from his own supply cupboard, "Let's see now, powdered moonstone and syrup of hellebore. Ah, yes, now tell me why this is an advanced potion to make."

Lily raised her hand as she responded, "Because handled incorrectly, the hellebore is a poisonous plant."

"Correct," the teacher commented with delight.

"Did you hear that just now, Harry," Olivia asked referring to the ever slightest sound of a door closing.

"Yes, I think so."

"So, did I at the time."

"Can't stop staring at the bloody door, can you," Snape snarled. He was quite irritated that she inched closer towards him as her body twisted.

Olivia just raised her eyebrows and turned back right around in her seat, still wondering why she heard the door close. "Perhaps it was just a draft," she concluded.

"Now to make the best quality of this potion you have to stir, once counter-clockwise for every fourth clockwise unless it's after the Last Quarter moon, then it's 3 clockwise for every fourth counter-clockwise. Do you understand?"

The three of them didn't respond because they were still absorbing the information with their heads cocked to the side. That is until Lily noticed a critical detail. "Professor, it just stirred itself twice counter-clockwise."

"That's impossible my dear, Gluten's self-stirring wands never fail. You know he invented them because of me, don't you?"

"No, sir, but..."

"Everything's fine the potion's turned as bright as a dandelion." So it was, apparently whatever disruption Lily had noticed, passed its course. Harry didn't notice it, for he was too busy looking at the wand that appeared in mid-air and waved at the cauldron, while the Professor wasn't looking, behind the backs of the students.

"That's---,"

"Yep, I'm afraid so," replied Olivia holding a hand to her head.

Professor Slughorn pulled out 4 teacups and saucers and filled them with the brilliant yellow solution. "Ah, now let's have a drink shall we."

The teacher, after passing out the filled cups, leaned against his desk and deeply drank from his cup, chugged it more likely. The three merely looked at him in amazement...or disgust. It was hard to tell the difference from their faces.

"Now, now there's nothing wrong with it," Slughorn managed to mutter before his head dropped back with his mouth open and eyes shut.

"Professor," Lily shrieked.

"Is he alright," questioned Olivia who was answered by the sure sound of him snoring.

"I'll be damned," said Snape. "His own potion was a blunder."

"It can't have been," suggested Lily.

Olivia sniffed her own potion. "Are you so certain? You were the one who noticed the mistake in the wandwork."

"Yes, but I'm not sure what I saw. My eyes could have merely been playing tricks on me."

"Well, one of us should try it, to see how severe the damage is before summoning Madam Pomfrey," Severus suggested.

"What if it's poisoned," the blonde brought up. "Hey don't look at me like that."

Severus was glaring at her. "Oh, the stupidity," he thought. "It can't bloody be poisoned if he's just sleeping."

"What if he doesn't wake up," Lily asked herself aloud. The two turned to look at her.

"If you're so certain it's harmless, why don't you drink yours, Severus?"

"No. Why don't you?"

"Because I suggested first."

"So?"

"So you should drink up!"

"I won't."

"You're not afraid of what I'll do to you once you're asleep are you," Olivia grinned.

"I am not."

"Oh stop your bickering you two. I'll drink it." Before Lily could be stopped, she had taken a sip of the dandelion-colored potion. The two stared at her, waiting for any odd effects. "What are you looking at?"

"Hmm," Olivia took a sip of hers as well.

Severus just sat their glowering at his cup which was growing cold. "What?"

"Well..." the girls looked at him.

"I said I'm not drinking it."

"Oh, yes you are," Olivia said ever so peacefully. Swiftly and with a fluid motion she snatched the cup from his hand without spilling a drop. "Hold him down, Lily."

Lily giggled as she poked her dear friend in the side. "Stop, stop," Severus shouted, but she began pulling him down towards her end of the couch. "Oh, alright! I can do it myself!"

Severus sat straight up and pulled his robes down, snatching the cup out of Olivia's hand, too quickly. The cup flew out of his hand and the potion poured all over Lily's robes. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry," repeated the boy as he grabbed a napkin and began wiping up the potion from his friend's torso.

"PETRIFICUS TOTALUS," suddenly came a voice from behind the three. Snape's arms locked to his side and his body jerked upright like a plank. Harry watched as his dad ripped off the cloak that concealed both he and Sirius Black.

"What's going on," Olivia needn't have asked because Lily soon shouted the names of the intruders.

"James! And Sirius! What have you done now?," she asked as she spun around to look at the two.

"Just checking on you girls." His father was ever so cheeky thought Harry.

"Don't give me that," Had Lily been in her right state of mind, surely this would have come out dangerously. "What are you two doing out of class?"

"Well," Sirius started slowly, possibly looking for a reason. "We saw that you were alone with him."

James elbowed his friend in the side. "We knew Snivelllus would try something like that!"

"Like what," the red-head asked James. "It was an accident."

"Was not," he argued. "He had his hands all over my girl."

"For the last time, I'm not your girl. Were you two the ones who messed with the potion as well?"

"Maybe," the look on James's face was very evident of his guilt or pride in the matter.

"Excuse me," Olivia raised her hand as if she were in class, watching the eyes of the petrified Severus Snape wander back and forth his breathing rigid. "What do you mean you saw us?"

"Never mind that," said Lily now remembering her friend's condition. "Let him go."

"No."

"Never."

"Not unless-"

"Not unless what," questioned the blonde.

Sirius and James deliberated amongst themselves for a minute before the Black answered, "Not unless you two go out on a date with us."

"Never," answered Lily whose senses were at least not impaired by the potion.

"Deal," said Olivia who gave Lily along look as if trying to transmit her thoughts telepathically.

"You-you will," stammered Sirius.

"Yes, we will," calmly replied Olivia who seemed to be on the same wave-length as Olivia now. "Next month at Hogsmeade."

"Yes," yelled the boys as they slapped each other's hand.

"Now, will you let him go!?"

"Oh, Finite Incantatem."

The adult Olivia laughed for some reason Harry did not know. "I think your mother thought that if they wanted to play, we could play on the same level and so we did."

The boys left leaving the three be. "Lily, I wish you wouldn't," Snape spoke as he recovered and sat upright.

"I know, but I'll show that Potter once and for all to leave us alone."

"I don't need a girl sticking up for me," Severus was very adamant about this.

"What about two girls then," questioned Olivia.

Severus just dropped his head and shoulders, placing a hand to his forehead as the scene went black.


End file.
